Flashlight switch



Dec. 8, 1942. F. c. SCHULTZ FLASHLIGHT SWITCH Filed Aug. 1, 1941 Fig.5.F926. F y- FRED 0 5c H U LTZ INVENTOR.

- v ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 8, 1 942 Fred C. Schultz, Chicago, 11., assignor to TheEdward Katzinger Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application August 1, 1941, Serial No. 405,929

(ill. zoo-cc) 6- Claims.

This invention relates to a flashlight switch and has for its object theprovision of a switch which is simple and inexpensive in itsconstruction and adapted for ready assembly.

According to the present invention the improved switch includes ahousing or operating member mounted to slide on the outer surface of abattery case, and a switch element secured to the housing for slidingmovement internally of the case, and means for locking said switchelement in oif position including a flexible extension which isdepressible to release the switch element for movement to on position asan incident to movement of the housing toward said on position.

The switch element may be depressed by aroll assembly according to thepresent invention, and

shown in on position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the switch in off position.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 2 whenturnedthrough an angle of 90 degrees relative to the position thereof shown inFig. 2.

Fig. t is a detail bottom view of the operating member.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the hashlight case illustratingthe arrangement of the apertures cooperating with the operating membercontemplated by this invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of the switch element, including theflexible extension thereof.

Reference being had more particularly to the drawing, ii] represents atubular flashlight casing of conductive material, such as metal. Theswitch contemplated by the present invention comprises a housing oroperating membe I! in the form of a finger piece having a peripheralflange 12, part of which at each side of the finger piece is slit andbent angularly to provide a pair of opposed guidin arms I 3 which extendthrough suitable apertures M in the wall of the case. The

"zss zzz ii GE FICE arms !3 have inturned ends adapted to be passedthrough said apertures and occupy a position at some distance inwardlyfrom the inner surface of the case iii when" the arms it are fullyprojected through said apertures.

Coastin with said operating member I l to provide an element for openingand closing the lamp circuit is a contact member or strip it of brass orsimilar material, having an extension or shank portion ii adapted to beinterposed between the lit. The shank H, as shown in the drawing, is ofa thickness corresponding to the clearance provided between the ends l5of the arms iii and the inner surface of the case Ii] opposite theretoWhile the width of the shank is such that the inner surfaces of the armsl3 slidably guide the longitudinal edges of the shank to accommodateentry of the shank thercbetween by movement in a path lengthwisethereof. Such inserticn of the shank ll from an entering position to aposition wherein a portion of the shank overhangs or projects beyond thelimits of the ends it of the arms I3 is limited by the abutment ofaligned stops or shoulders [8 at the inner end of the shank with theedges of the arms iii. The portion of the shank thus projecting beyondthe arms iii and ends I5 is slit longitudinally as at 59 to provide apair of aligned tongues 20 normally sprung outwardly from the surface ofthe shank ll facing the bearing surface of the ends it and presentingtransverse edges 21 which engage the edges of the ends l5 at the outletside thereof to prevent withdrawal of the extension or shank ll when theshoulder i8 is in engagement with the edges of the arms it. Theresiliency of the tongues permits them to be pressed inwardly toward theplane of the shank during their passage through the space defined by thearms it, ends it and inner surface of the case iii wlriereupon thetongues 2%, on reaching a position clear of the edge of the ends l5 willspring outwardly and snap into engagement with said edge of the ends if;to lock the shank ll against withdrawal from the arms 13.

When so assembled, the operating member H and contact strip It arerigidly and securely interlocked for movement as a unit in the aperturesE4 of the case wall, with the shank or extension i'l slidable againstthe inner surface of the case opposite the rear end of the operatingmember.

In the off position of the contact strip l6, as shown in Fig. 2, a pairof transversely aligned lugs 22 struck inwardly from the inner surfaceof the case provide keepers engageable with the edges of notches orrecesses 23 formed in the longitudinal edges of the extension l1. Ondepressing the extension I! downwardly (as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2) the extension is movable to unlocked position relative to the lug 22and is prepared to be moved to on position by sliding the operatingmember H forwardly, to the position shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of facilitating depression of the extension I? as anincident to the operation of sliding the housing or operating member I Ito on position, a roller or spherical member 25 is mounted in thehousing H for movement therewith as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. An elongatedopening in the wall of the case It underlying the housing H provides apair of opposed edges 25 extending lengthwise of the path of movement ofthe housing and tapering inwardly and forward- 1y from the rearward endthereof. These edges provide guideways on which the lower portion of theroller 25 rides during sliding movement of the housing I i. In the offposition of the contact member it (as shown in Figs. 2 and 3) the rolleris so disposed as to coact with the widest part of the edges 26 enablinga portion of the roller to project inwardly of the case. Thus theextension operates to urge the roller outwardly against the rim 28 of anopening in the rearward top surface of the housing H, through whichopening a portion of the roller protrudes for ready access. Accordingly,when the protruding portion of the roller is pressed inwardly of thehousing H, the surface of the extension is acted upon by the roller tomove the extension downwardly to clear the lugs 22. When the roller iscarried forward toward on position, the forwardly tapering edges orguideways 25 of the opening operate to elevate the roller so as torelieve pressure on the extension I6 and prevent flexing thereof whenthe roller is in such position. By so limiting the flexing of theextension !6, except at such intervals as it is necessary in connectionwith moving the contact member from off to on position, the life of thecontact member is prolonged.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the housing l i may bewholly preformed and the assembly operation involved in the manufactureand production of the present switch consists merely of placing theroller in the opening 26 and placing the housing H over the roller, withthe flange l2 resting against the outer surface of the case and the armsl3 extending through the apertures M in the case, and then inserting thecontact strip through the space between the arms l3 until the tongues 29engage the rear edge of the ends i5 of the arms IS.

The contact member I6, as shown herein, is adapted to engage at theforward end 30 thereoi with a reflector disposed adjacent to the frontend of the case and surrounding an electric lamp 32, the circuit throughsaid lamp being closed when the member i6 is in engagement with thereflector. The source of current for the lamp is available, forinstance, from one or more dry battery cells 33 adapted to make contactat one end thereof with the rear tip of the lamp under the action of ahelical spring 34 interposed between the closed or capped end of thecase l8 and the other end of the battery. With such an arrangement thecircuit can take place by way of the rear tip of the lamp 32, thebattery terminal, the spring 34, the case 10, the operating member H,the strip (8, the reflector 3! and thence to the side terminal of thelamp 32.

While certain features of the present invention are more or lessspecifically illustrated, it is to be understood that various changes inform and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the appendedclaims; similarly, that the materials of the several parts employed maybe such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictateor various uses may demand.

What is claimed is:

1. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery case, a housing mountedto slide longitudinally thereof, a roller mounted in said housing andmoving therewith, means providing an opening through which said rolleris adapted to project partially internally of the case, a switch elementsecured to said housing and having a flexible extension engaging theportion of the roller projecting internally of the case and urging saidroller outwardly of the case, means for locking said switch element inoff position including interengaging elements on said case and flexibleextension from which the element releasable by depressing the roller,and means for preventing depression of said roller when the housin ismoved away from its position corresponding to off position of saidswitch element.

2. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery case, a housing mountedto slide longitudinally thereof, means providing an elongated opening inthe path of movement of said housing, a switch element secured to saidhousing, a roller mounted in said housing and moving therewith, saidroller coacting with the dges of said opening to project partiallyinternally of the case at one extremity of the opening and progressivelymove to a position clear of the inner surface of the case in movementthereof toward the other extremity of the opening, a flexible extensionon said switch element engaging the portion of the roller projectinginwardly of the case and urging the roller outwardly of the case andmeans for locking said switch element in 01f position includinginterengaging elements on said case and flexible extension from whichthe element is releasable by depressing the roller.

3. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery case, a housing mountedto slide longitudinally thereof, a roller mounted in said housing andmoving therewith, an opening in the case through which said roller isadapted to project partially internally of the case, a switch elementsecured to said housing and having a flexible extension engaging theportion of the roller projecting internally of the case and urging saidroller outwardly of the case, means for locking said switch element inoff position including a lug struck inwardly from the inner surface ofthe case engageable with an element on said flexible extension fromwhich the switch element is releasable by depressing the roller, andmeans for preventing depression of said roller when the housing is movedaway from its position corresponding to off position of said switchelement.

4. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery case, a housing mountedto slide longitudinally thereof, a spherical member mounted in saidhousing and moving therewith, an opening in the case through which saidspherical member is adapted to project partially internally of the case,a switch element secured to said housing and having a flexible extensionengaging the portion of the spherical member projecting internally ofthe case and urging said roller outwardly of the case, means for lockingsaid switch element in off position including interengaging elements onsaid case and flexible extension from which the switch element isreleasable by depressing the spherical member, and means for preventingdepression of said spherical member when the housing is moved away fromits position corresponding to off position of said switch element.

5. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery case, a housing mountedto slide longitudinally thereof, a spherical member mounted in saidhousing and moving therewith, an opening in the case through which saidspherical member is adapted to partially project internally of the case,a switch element secured to said housing and having a flexible extensionengaging the portion of the spherical member projecting internally ofthe case and urging said spherical member outwardly of the case, meansfor locking said switch element in ofi position including interengagingelements on said case and flexible extension from which the element isreleasable by depressing the spherical member, and a guideway associatedwith said opening coacting with said spherical member to obstructdepression of said spherical member when the housing is moved away fromits position corresponding to off position of said switch element.

6. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery case, a housing mountedto slide longitudinally thereof, an opening in the case wall, in thepath of movement of the housing, said opening having edges definingopposed guideways tapering laterally inwardly with respect to the pathof movement of said housing, a switch element secured to said housingfor sliding movement interiorly of the case and having a flexibleextension movable in a path opposite said opening, means for lockingsaid switch element in off position including interengaging elements Onsaid case and flexible extension from which the switch element isreleasable by depressing the flexible extension, and means coasting withsaid flexible extension for depressing the latter including a rollermovable with said housing and cooperating with the widest portion ofsaid guideways when said housing and switch element are in off positionto project partially internally of the case and cooperating with thenarrowest portion of said guideways when said housing and switch elementare in on position to recede to a position sub stantially clear of theinner surface of the case and said flexible extension.

FRED C. SCHULTZ.

